Of Spies and Sin
by aweasleytwin
Summary: Follow spies Ron Weasley and Harry Potter as they, and a team of trained professionals, track the dangerous mastermind Tom Riddle to the states in a city full of sin, deception, and unexpected twists. AU. No magic. R/HR and some H/G mentioned. R/R.
1. To the Office

**A/N Alright, so I have an idea for a multi-chaptered story! So here is the opening chapter that will set the stage for my plan. Yes, I know the following disclaimer is long but read it, it's funny (I hope!). But despite the inspiration for this fic, it is not a song-fic in any way, shape, or form. The title of the song was just simply inspiration. I hope the story-line is original and isn't similar to anything you've read or seen before. Oh! I should probably tell you, although many of our favorite characters are in this, it is completely AU, meaning no magic. Scary right? But please read and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: -Professor Trelawneys' Classroom—**

"**Professor, I came to you because I wanted to ask you about something that happened when I woke up this morning," I started to tell said Professor.**

**However, before I could continue she interrupted, "Yes, I see, my dear, you have woken up from a terrifying nightmare that you need my assistance in interpreting…"**

"**No no, I didn't have a dream it's just that—"**

**And once again I was cut off. "Are you quite sure? Ah I see now, the leaves in your morning tea were telling you of the horrendous day to come and—"**

**This time it was my turn to cut in, "NO, nothing like that. You see I awoke at 6:30 this morning after only getting a mere four and a half hours of sleep. I was coming to ask your opinion on that, but now I'm thinking it can be best answered by Madame Pomfrey." The last part I muttered under my breath.**

**She however took no notice. "Yes, yes your mind was telling you to wake up. Was there anything of possible importance that happened once you awoke?"**

"**No, I was just bloody tired! All that was going on in my head was a Katy Perry song that then inspired me for a fanfic…ooooooooooohhh."**

"**Alas, my dear, you have the curse of the fanfic! You must be sent to St. Mungos straight away!"**

"**No Professor, it's not a disease, you write your own stories based on other books and movies and such."**

"**But surely that is illegal?"**

"**Well you have to include a disclaimer, such as **_**I do not own anything in the Harry Potter world **_**(wink wink, the disclaimer at last!)."**

"**Oh no, my dear! It is very clear in your future! I see big men in suits dragging you away…!"**

"**Oh shut up you old bat, I have a disclaimer!" And with that I pulled a Hermione and stormed out of the room, leaving a befuddled Professor Trewlawney in my wake.**

Chapter One: To the Office

RPOV

It's sad when life gets too predictable. I know that when I turn the corner, I will see the same man on the corner selling the daily paper and the same customer holding a to-go cup of coffee who will then sprint down the street trying to catch the bus that just left, all with the paper tucked snuggly under his armpit. A woman just past the new store near the red-bricked and old apartment building will be standing with her dog while he refuses to go. And surely there will be a few pigeons perusing the street's abundant trash cans in the hopes of coming across something mildly edible.

And yet, each day I carry on, semi-content with life. I have a solid, yet exciting job. And I have great friends and a supportive family. Sure, my love life isn't stable, but I get along alright. And besides, in my line of work, to have a close connection with someone like that is merely a weakness I can't afford; especially, if a life might be endangered. I have a fast-paced life and it is hard to find a woman who is independent and strong-willed enough to handle, well, my life.

You see, I'm a spy; a secret-agent, if you will. I know it may seem far-fetched, but it's true. Although I'm not always chasing a criminal across the world, it has been known to happen. But most of the time, I have a similar job to everyone else: I have an office, I have meetings daily (and I also have debriefings after missions, but that's another thing entirely), and I have paperwork. Mountains and mountains of paperwork, really.

So you can understand why having a wife or even a steady girlfriend can be potentially fatal. It would be an easy target for the enemy; all he or she would have to do would be to get ahold of her or our kids, if that was the case, and I would surrender. It would be a predictable, yet effective tactic, of luring me into their hands, but I would go with my hands up.

Don't get me wrong, I have tried relationships, really I have. But it seems I always pick the wrong ones. She always turns out to be completely daft. Not that I'm looking for a rocket-scientist, but some common sense would be nice. A girl with a sense of humor, but a good work ethic; someone who I can really be myself with, yet she will love me anyway. Is it too much to ask for a woman who can hold her own if I have to leave the country on a dangerous mission?

But my love life aside, I have come to accept what life hands out; the simple things in life.

I am particularly glad when I find out that the subway that I take to work has not left yet and that I am able to snag the last seat. However, I give up the seat to a young woman who has at least seven heavy, and honestly, boring looking, books in her hands.

As a spy, I need to pay attention to detail; to be aware of my surroundings. So it is completely understandable when I look over the woman who I just gave my seat up to. As a professional, I do it coyly. No, that does not mean glancing out the side of my eye like a high school boy glancing at his crush who happens to sit in the desk next to him. Rather, I look at her through reflections: the windows, although dirty, provide the solution I need to my problem.

From what I can see from the glass, the woman has brown curly hair, quite bushy, really, that she had tried to throw into a braid. The bags under her eyes suggest a long night of hard work and little rest. But although she is tired, she cleans up well (not that I'm looking), her pants are neatly pressed, her short heels are clean, and her nice shirt suggests a good job. Glancing at the book titles it is plain to see that, although her job is apparently good, it is boring. The books, showing titles such as Major Court Decisions From 1965-1975 Vol. 1 and The History and Origins of Law, looked like they had been handled many times and in need of a new binding. However, I can appreciate the fact that she too is involved in law; although her branch doesn't seem as exciting as mine.

When she sits down and adjusts her books, she lifts her face and glances at her surroundings. As she sweeps her view across the cramped space and is about to come across me, I wait for her reaction. However, right as she is about to, the subway jerks to a stop. As people push themselves in and out, she clutches to her purse. But when a particularly stressed-looking man jumps into the carriage before the door shuts, he knocks into her, causing her many volumes to fall to the floor. She reaches forward, obviously too late, with an "Oh no" mumbles under her breath.

The man does nothing to help and pushes past her. Hoping to show her that not all men are complete arse wipes, I crouch down and start picking up the books with a brief "Let me help you with those."

As I collect the last two, I place them into her hands and glace up at her face at the same time.

"Thank you very much, I really needed these." Her thanks tears me away from her sparkling brown eyes.

"You sure you don't have them memorized? They seem pretty handled to me." I don't know what it was, but something about her made me want to pull on her strings.

"These books really are quite interesting, not that I have to explain myself to you." I could tell that she wanted to argue back, but she was trying to restrain herself.

"Yes, because reading about the origins of laws sounds so interesting."

She caught onto my sarcasm. "Well, to me they are. But I doubt you would understand. Why would anything like this interest you?"

However, I do care about the law. Very much so, and even though she meant no harm by the comment, I couldn't hold myself back and told her in a low voice, "Don't for one moment assume that you understand me even a little bit. These books will tell you nothing about what you need to know. There's more to laws than just words. I would know."

Truthfully, I probably revealed too much. But before she could comment back, I turned away from her and took my exit just as the doors made a well-timed opening.

As I finally make my way onto the street, I managed to see a disgruntled brunette a few steps behind me. Not wishing to confront her, I weave in and out of people. Doubling back on myself and making random turns, I utilize all the tricks in the book hoping to put space in between us and to lose her. Sure my bright red hair isn't ideal for a pavement artist, but by moving quickly, slouching slightly, and grabbing a hat off a nearby man, I am able to melt into the crowd like any other person.

I safely make it into my building with no tail behind me, not that I expected one of course.

* * *

Collapsing into my chair behind my desk, I throw the "borrowed" hat into the trash can. While my computer is starting up, I run to the break run to grab a cup of coffee. On return, I notice that the computer is up and running and is waiting for my password. Once the password is typed in, I need to go through the security check by placing my thump on the necessary pad that scans my fingerprint and also holding still while a green laser goes through the customary retinal scan.

Obviously passing the test, I first open up my email. I pull up the first one: a message from Dean Thomas, an old school friend, asking me to play keeper in his upcoming football match this weekend. I mark it unread to look at later when I am able to check my schedule. As I open the next one, my best mate Harry Potter walks in.

"Ron, did you read the message from Dumbledore yet?"

"One second I have it up now." He walks over to my desk and looks at the few pictures I have while I read the message.

"Staff meeting at 10:30. Do you know what it's about?" I ask Harry since I know Dumbledore tends to confide in him often.

"I expect it has something to do with Riddle. He's on the move," he informs me with no emotion.

Of course, Tom Riddle, I should have expected it. The guy has been around awhile and, even though Harry has gotten close to bringing him down when Riddle decided to kill Harry's parents, he is at large once again and is gaining followers. These guys are like serial killers and terrorists and conspirators all combined into one. They intend to overtake the government and probably the world if they get the chance, and all led by mastermind Tom Riddle. What makes them dangerous is that they don't care who gets in the way, they will kill or overtake anyone and everyone in their path.

We have been trying for years to take down this guy. We too have been trying to gain support to go up against him and to finally put him in his place. But he has power and is smart; he knows how to avoid detection. But he has been on the move lately and, even though we are not sure _exactly _what he is after, we have a hunch and we know something big is about to happen.

So when I saw that we have a meeting with the Head of the Department, I knew something must have happened.

"Right, of course. Any ideas on that?" I hope he'll know something more.

"Nope. Well not yet at least. I can still do some research before the meeting. But anyways, did you get that email from Dean?" Completely off topic, but I guess Harry doesn't feel like lingering on a topic that he doesn't know much about.

"The one about the match this weekend?"

"Yeah, do you plan on going?"

"I don't know, mate. We may be on a mission by the time that rolls around don't you think? That may be what the meeting's about."

"Course, should have known that. Well if we have to go on a mission this weekend I'll have to call Ginny and cancel our dinner on Sunday," he frowned at the thought of breaking off a date with my sister.

"Better you than me. Personally, I wouldn't want to face the wrath of Ginny; been down that path too many times. Kind of makes me glad I don't have a girlfriend at times like these." I shake my head at remembrance of growing up with her and my other brothers. I would always get protective when she got a boyfriend, and she was never too happy about that.

"Yeah well, you need to change that. You have been single for too long. Haven't you met anyone lately? How about that blonde from the building next door, she seemed nice?"

"You really need to stop bugging me about this. But no, it didn't work out with her. She was like the girl all of those corny dumb blonde jokes were about. Nothing going on up there, really," I said, pointing to my head. "The only woman who has even come close to meeting my standards was the feisty brunette I met on the subway," I said with a slight laugh.

"Really? A feisty brunette, tell me more!" He jumps up and down like a 14 year old schoolgirl who has just heard a piece of really good gossip.

"No! Now go and do some work before I have to chuck you out of here," not too much of a threat, but I need to do some prep before the meeting.

"Fine. But don't think the subject won't come up again, because it will! Now excuse me while I go order flowers for your sister so she isn't too mad when I have to cancel our date."

I make a whip sound as he exits the door and he in turn flashes a rather rude gesture with his finger. I have a quick laugh before I turn back to my computer, intent on getting some work done.

**A/N: Alright, so the end of chapter one! Do you like it? I included some of our favorite characters from the books, and believe me, there will be more to come! Do you know yet what the Katy Perry song is yet? And no, it is not "California Girls." But if you don't know, you should be able to figure it out next chapter. (You may be able to deduce it from the title.) But if you want the next chapter, you will have to tell me in a REVIEW! But just so you know I won't be updating it next week because I'll be in Potter World. That's right, be jealous. So let me know what you think of it so far!**


	2. The Mission Meeting

**A/N: Sorry it has taken so long to get this up. You see I didn't get quite the response I had hoped for (but I do want to thank the people who have read it, once or twice if that's the case, and even reviewed). School had started anyway and with so many extra curriculars and college application stuff to do, writing wasn't one of my top priorities. But I hope this makes up for how long I took. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Honestly I think the disclaimer in the last chapter should suffice.**

Chapter 2: The Mission Meeting

RPOV

I take a quick glance at the clock and know I have just enough time to finish the reports from my last mission. I had taken down a group of five men that were planning a bombing. I had tracked them for weeks through the Irish countryside and I was finally able to close in on them and deactivate the bomb. Even though the bomb didn't go off, there was still a lot of shooting and fighting. There was a lot of destruction to the surrounding village, let me tell you. And with a lot of destruction comes a lot of paperwork. I swear I should just have a camera crew video tape me so I don't have to go over every single detail of the mission.

Thankfully I finish my report with 10 minutes to spare so I head to the break room and grab a fresh coffee and jelly-filled doughnut. Taking a seat, I take a few minutes to just close my eyes and enjoy the few minutes of free time since this meeting probably involves me going on another mission.

I hear the muffled sound of footsteps approaching the room. Sensing rather than seeing, it's apparent that someone has entered the room with soft treads, suggesting sneakiness. Just in time I deflect a ball that was thrown at me.

"Seamus, do you really think you can sneak up on me? After all, I am a spy that has grown up with Fred and George," I say with a slight chuckle.

"Worth a shot." He said with a shrug. I throw the ball back to him and he catches it cleanly out of the air. "Anyway, you about ready to head to the meeting? It should be starting in a few," Seamus replied. Seamus was an old friend from school who had the same wish to stop crime as I did. Although he's not the best in the field, he's a great guy to have around to lighten the mood. We've always been friends but never had the same level of friendship that Harry and I have. Honestly we had a few rough patches. For example, he got in an argument with Harry about whether or not Harry was sane and I had also dated his ex-girlfriend for a brief amount of time. Rumor has it he got back with her but I always try to avoid any conversations that may lead to discussing a Miss Lavender Brown. Really, I don't even want to think about it.

"Right, well we're off to see the wizard!"

Now when I say wizard I'm talking about our boss Albus Dumbledore. If the name is any indication, he is quite old and has the history to prove it. With the long silver beard and the constant twinkle in his eye, it's been a running joke in the division that the only way he could have defeated so many hard-core criminals and lived to tell the tale was because he was magical. Think what you'd like, but if you met the guy I'm sure you would be thinking the same thing.

We walk into the meeting room and I take a seat next to Harry while Seamus walks over to where Cormac is sitting. I arrive just in time because Dumbledore walks in 15 seconds after I sit down.

"Quiet down, we need to get straight to business." It was unnecessary that he said that because we were silent the moment he walked into that room. That's just how powerful his presence is.

"I know you all are wondering why I scheduled this meeting on such short notice. Although I hope at least a few of you have figured it out. There is good news and bad news. So I guess I'll start with the bad news. It has come to our attention that Tom Riddle has planned his next move and we need to stop him. Good news is that we caught wind of this soon enough so we may be able to stop him before he is able to put his plan into action."

"So what exactly is his plan?" Seamus questions.

"We can never really know his complete plan, actually we're lucky to even know where he is heading." Dumbledore added as an afterthought, he continued on, "Mr. Riddle is heading to the United States to meet up with a few potential allies," Dumbledore replies.

"If he is heading to the U.S. wouldn't he become their responsibility? Are we even authorized to chase a criminal who may be interacting with some of their criminals? If we follow him there Riddle would have an advantage because we would be entering an unfamiliar area." I nod as Harry poses his questions.

Dumbledore has an answer already prepared it seems, "Those were my original thoughts at first. However, the States aren't thinking like that. This is our criminal and we know how he works in these types of situations. They offered to collaborate but they believe that the best way to take down Riddle is for us to deal with him ourselves.

"But save the rest of your questions for later. Everybody has a folder underneath their chair so go ahead and grab that. Inside you will find all the information you need to know for this mission: your new identity and passport, plane tickets, hotel information, and a general plan that is subject to change as the mission progresses."

I check under my chair and grab a thick manila envelope. The cover is pretty standard, I have used this specific pseudonym several times. It appears that we are going to have to pose as the group The Order of the Phoenix, which is an international club that is seeking new members. Before I look at the plane ticket and mission schedule, I notice a few names on the list of agents going and their covers that I don't recognize.

"Excuse me, sir, but are we putting some first years on this mission? Because I don't recognize a few of the names." Cormac puts his hand down; I guess he was going to ask the same question.

"Quite observant." Was there some sarcasm in there or was I just imagining that. "No, we are not using first years for this mission. We need seasoned professionals; which is why all of you were called to this meeting. But to answer what the follow-up question would have been, we are bringing in some specialists. These are people who are quite familiar with law and what our legal boundaries are on this mission." I snort at that. Legal boundaries? Yes, we enforce the law, but to do it we may stretch a few restrictions.

"Scoff all you want Agent Weasley. But we are on new terrain and we don't want to make any more enemies by stepping over their laws. But more to the point, a few specialists will be accompanying you all on this mission and will be working behind-the-scenes, handling all communications, security monitors, and may just save your life by hearing, seeing, or acquiring information that you may have missed."

He's right. This mission will be tough. Not only are we going to have to find Riddle and stop him, but we're going to have the American CIA breathing down our backs watching to see if we make a wrong move. A move that may cost our life and any friendly alliance we may have with the United States.

"So here's the rough schedule for the rest of the week. Today I want you to finish any paperwork or any unfinished mission reports. Tomorrow is another mandatory meeting where all of you will be meeting the specialists and we will be discussing the general mission details: all the times and places. Afterwards you will proceed to the weapons division to talk to Lupin about what guns and other devices you will need for the mission." Seamus is smiling, I know the weapons are his favorite part about being an agent.

Dumbledore continues, "The rest of the day is yours to do any prep work you may have for the mission and to take it easy until we board the planes on Thursday for the States. After that it is up to you to complete the mission." Yeah if only it were ever that easy. "If there are no more questions then you are dismissed." Silence. "Then I will see you at the same time tomorrow and not a minute later."

As Dumbledore leaves, everyone starts talking excitably about the mission. I turn to Harry and raise my eyebrows. "So what do you think?"

"I've taken harder missions, but with Riddle you just never know. I feel kind of restricted, though, with the whole 'we're on the United States' turf' bit."

"Yeah, it's odd. And I hope these 'specialists' aren't complete freaks. How do we even know if we can trust them?" I honestly don't know if I can work with these new people. Because in this line of work, when your life is on the line, you need to know you can completely trust those you're working with.

"If Dumbledore can trust them, shouldn't we? He always knows what he's doing."

"He's getting old though and there are some moments when he's completely off his rocker. The other day he was showing me this scar on his leg claiming it looked like London's underground system."

"Maybe, but he's brilliant. Anyway, I need to run and call Ginny. Hopefully we can make our weekend dinner plans happen tonight or something."

"Okay, tell her I said hi." With a quick nod of his head and a little wave, he heads out of the door and down the hall into his office. Seamus and Cormac follow right after.

I push back my chair and grab my envelope. I still hadn't finished going through all the information and I want to finish any miscellaneous paperwork I may have so I don't have to do it tonight.

I walk down the hall and enter my office and close the sound proof door behind me. I turn on my computer and after doing the customary security measures, I pull up the file that I record the coordinates of an eastern crime lord that I have been tracking for the past few months. I enter in the necessary password and watch as my screen makes many adjustments and rests on the border of Israel. Nothing has changed there so I don't have to worry too much about that while I'm on this mission.

Missions aren't successful if I'm too distracted and my mind is cluttered with other worries. So it's nice that this research can go on the back burner.

I pull up our database and enter all the names of the specialists hoping to find any information that our records can provide. As the files are being located and downloaded I finally pull all of the information out of the envelope.

My cover, or legend, requires a brunette wig and a goatee. I might have time to visit the disguise division before I leave today. I really do hate wearing wigs but my bright red hair is too much of a giveaway. At least I'm not the only one who is going to have to go through a drastic wardrobe change. Harry is always wearing a wig and, as a minimum, one of the new masks that molds completely to the skin but can still completely change the identity of the wearer. His scar that he got in one of his previous fights with Riddle is a dead give-away.

I flip through the rest of the packet until the ticket is all that's left. Destination? Las Vegas, Nevada. Of course the man who has no problem gambling away the lives of his enemies and followers would head to the city of sin.

With so many civilians it will be a test of our skills.

Tearing me out of my thoughts is a ping from my computer and I'm staring into the eyes of the feisty brunette from the subway. Hermione Granger is going to be one of the specialists. I put my head in my hands and close my eyes. Can anything else go wrong?

**A/N: Sorry of that's so short I just felt that was a good place to end. So what do you think? Ron and Hermione in Vegas should be a lot of fun, no? I hope to update a little quicker than I did last time but I can't make any promises of an exact date of when I'll update. Maybe it will be sooner rather than later if I get reviews asking for more. And speaking of reviews, please leave one. Whether it be your favorite line, part, or hopes for future chapters just leave a comment! Thanks for reading and stay tuned!**

**P.S. Please excuse any grammatical errors that may have missed the careful inspection of my eyes and my sister's eyes. As Darren Criss would say/sing, "That just makes me, that makes me a human like you."**

**aweasleytwin**


	3. Taking a Risk

**A/N: So I should probably start by saying sorry but that doesn't really cover it. I promised myself I wouldn't wait this long to update but school and extra-curriculars just kept getting in the way. I want to thank my sister for re-reading this and nagging me to get writing. I would also like to thank anyone who has reviewed, favorited, or alerted, it really means a lot!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the wonderful world of Harry Potter or any characters in it. **

**Recap: As Ron and Harry, among other agents, are getting information on their new mission, which is tracking Tom Riddle to Las Vegas, Ron recognizes a Miss Hermione Granger, a specialist, whom he happened to meet on the subway earlier that day. However, the chapter is going to start with Hermione right after Ron departs the subway so abruptly. So we continue…**

Chapter 3: Taking a Risk

Hermione's POV

Making sure I had a firm grip on my load of books, I rush off through the closing doors in pursuit of that infuriating red-head. I catch a glimpse of the tall man weaving his way through the crowd of pedestrians. Keeping my eyes on his bright hair, I figure it would be impossible to lose sight of him.

I'm wrong. And let me tell you, I do not enjoy being wrong. I had a clear view of him but he managed to get swallowed in the crowd. He just disappeared. I consider myself a pretty perceptive person and this man, this towering man with a mop of what should be the most ostentatious and easily-followed hair, managed to lose himself in the blandest crowd of people. I swear it had to be magic.

I spot a break in the rush and head to a bench. Setting my books down, I stand on my tip-toes and glance around. He is nowhere in sight.

Honestly, I don't even know why I even bothered looking for him. What was I going to say? "You had no right to speak to me like that and what did you even mean?" This may seem like an invasive inquiry from one stranger to another, but I just have the need to know everything. Some may call me a know-it-all, but I am honestly just a curious person who likes to know what is happening, why it is happening, and gain any knowledge that I can.

Deeming the search useless, I once again take up my load and continue down the street. Arriving at a quaint office building, I enter the lobby. Looking to my right, I spot the secretary at the wooden front desk going through some papers. Actually, it was more like she was tossing some papers around with the ringing phone a sort of background music for her hectic doings.

With a worried and overwhelmed look on her face sits our secretary, Pomona Sprout. The name is actually quite fitting considering she has decked out the front hall with many fresh flowers and plants.

"Good morning, Pomona, how are you?"

"I am doing quite well, dear, thanks for asking. Oh, and some mail came in for you this morning. Let me go find that for you." She riffles through some more papers on the desks and tosses a couple of seed packets into a drawer. Opening more drawers she mumbles, "I thought it was right here, but maybe…" She continues to move things around on her desk. I readjust the books in my hands and shift my weight to my other foot. Finally she lifts her coffee mug, pushes aside several folders, and grabs several envelopes. "Here you go, Hermione, I knew they were around here somewhere."

I thank her and drop the envelopes in my purse. Giving her what I hope is a friendly smile, I walk down the hall to my small office. Unlike Pomona's desk, mine is organized and orderly. I have a small cup that holds all of my pens and pencils, my keyboard and mouse is free of any clutter, and several folders are stacked neatly to the side of my desk.

I set the books down on the small table next to my bookcase and hang my purse and coat on the hooks next to the door. Pulling my mail out of my purse, I walk back to my desk and sit down and glance through all of the return addresses. Seeing none of immediate interest, I set the envelopes on top of the folders and look up to my computer. By clicking the mouse several times, I am able to turn on the screen. Typing my password, I enter my home screen. Being the old computer that it is, it will take a while to load.

My phone rings and Pomona is on the other side telling me that a Mr. Dumbledore is calling. Recognizing the name, I tell her I will take the call.

Waiting for the call to come through, I ponder the last time I talked to Albus Dumbledore. He had called asking if I would be willing to go to America to help out on a mission to stop a criminal. Telling me that I was the best at what I do and trustworthy, I was still confused as to why they would want me on a mission. I may be smart, but what is knowledge compared to courage and fighting? He laughed and assured me that I was exactly what they needed for the mission. I finally agreed to help out and he told me he would call again with more information. I was honored, and slightly scared, to be helping out the MI6.

The call comes through and I greet Mr. Dumbledore.

"Hello, Miss Granger, how are you today?" He asked kindly.

"I'm all right, sir, thanks for asking." I responded, quickly turning professional.

"I promised I would call back and I was wondering if you had an answer yet. I know this is a lot to think about but the plane leaves on Thursday. It really would be a shame to find someone else who would only have half the talent. You are the best for the job and I hope you will accept our offer." He really is laying it on thick.

I take a deep breath, close my eyes, and decide to take the leap. "I have thought about it, sir, and I have decided to go. I would be honored to do what I can to help."

I can hear the smile in his voice as he replies, "I am glad to hear that! Now we have a meeting tomorrow at 10:30 to discuss the mission. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow."

"I do too. Thank you for the opportunity."

"It is I who should be thanking you, Miss Granger. I'll be seeing you soon." And with that, he hung up. The call was short, but to the point.

I know that taking on this challenge is a very un-Hermione thing to do. But I am tired of always being seen as the boring know-it-all who never takes chances or risks. I want to show the world that there is more to me than meets the eye.

After all, this is such a rare prospect. How many people can say that they have helped save the country, the world, or just stopped a criminal in general? As a citizen, I feel I should do whatever I can to help my country.

Relieved that I had made a decision, I get up and cross the small office to my door. I had informed my boss of Mr. Dumbledore's proposition, so I needed to visit her to tell her of my choice. It may be dangerous, but I hope it was worth it.

:::::::::::::The Next Day::::::::::::

Rather than the rushed and worried disposition that I had worn yesterday, I carried myself with a cool, calm, and collected look. At least, I hope I do.

Taking a deep breath and getting a better grip on my briefcase, I smooth out the nonexistent wrinkles on my pencil skirt and enter the office building. Who would have known what secrets and mysteries were behind these walls? Sure, there have been rumors, but it was different to know for certain that this tall brick building was actually the workplace for so many brave men and women. It is such an honor to be joining the likes of them.

Admittedly, I was freaking out on the inside. The elevator ride up to the office consisted of me taking calming breaths and coming up with a million reasons why this was _not_ a good idea. Sure, my rationale for why I had accepted the job in the first place was in the back of my mind but in all honesty, those thoughts were pushed backed by more the demanding voices of my doubting emotions. Not only did I have doubts, but I was scared. This was unchartered territory; I was doing something that I had never done before.

But I was Hermione Granger, for goodness sake. What is a know-it-all book rat, as some would call me, doing in the big leagues? Was this really the place I belonged?

However, my decision was made and I couldn't back out of it now. Besides, it wasn't like I was going to be in the middle of the action. I was going to be behind the scenes and doing what I do best: gaining and remembering any and all information.

Before I could psych myself out again, I adopted a confident air. If anyone was going to believe in me, I needed to believe in myself first.

_Ding!_

Oh god I am not ready for this! What was I thinking? No, no, relax. This is just another challenge that I need to confront. I just need to prove myself. No, I _will_ prove myself.

I kept up a constant stream of encouragement in my mind. I only hope I didn't have a blank concentrated look on my face. Hoping to fix that, I readjusted my facial expressions so that a small confident smile appeared on my lips.

Before walking any further into the offices, I had to pass the inspection of the security guard. It was completely understandable, so I readily obliged. I had to go with several identification checks, fingerprint confirmation, and they had to make sure, twice, that I was expected in the building. It really was quite extensive.

The conference room was quite large, but a big mahogany table took up most of the space. There were only a few small windows on the back wall, but dark coverings were blocking any watchful eyes or cameras from seeing what is going on inside. Surrounding the table were simple, cushioned chairs. There were about twenty of these black chairs littered around the table; a dozen of them were already filled.

I was still looking around the room, when I heard a slightly recognizable voice asking his colleague about the pros and cons of the most recent bullet-proof vests. My face trained on the man with the so familiar voice. When I saw him, I admit that a gasp of surprise escaped me. I just stood in the door when he looked up from across the large table to see who had gasped. Looking at me now was the red-headed man from the subway yesterday.

When he looked up at me his conversation immediately stopped and I was met with a guarded expression. Why wasn't he surprised to see me like I was? Did he know who I was yesterday on the subway? And if so, why hadn't he said anything?

The confusion must have shown on my face because a tall blonde man, who looked about a year or two older than me, stood up and walked over to me.

"Hi, my name is Cormac. You're one of the specialists aren't you?" While he was asking his question, Cormac put his hand on my back and guided me into the seat next him. I should correct myself, it wasn't so much a question as it was a confident statement of fact.

"Yes, I am. My name is Herm-" Before I could even finish my name, he interrupted.

"Hermione Granger. I know who you are." He shot me a smile that was accompanied by a twinkle in his eye. I tentatively smiled back. I was just shocked that he, too, already knew my name. Obviously my returning smile encouraged him because he managed to smile even bigger and he added a wink for good measure.

Feigning embarrassment, when really I was just uncomfortable by his action, I turned away from him and saw the red-head. He was looking at me, but was saying something to the raven-haired, bespectacled man next to him. Locking eyes for on a couple seconds, I detected a hint of confusion then anger.

As I turned away, Cormac started a story, "You know, once when I was on a mission, I had to fight off…" His speech, thank God, was cut off by the entrance of another man. An impressive man with a crooked nose, half-moon glasses, and silver-white hair walked into the room. Without a doubt, this man had to be the Albus Dumbledore that I had talked to on the phone.

Upon entering the room, all noise ceased and everyone turned expectantly towards their boss. I too turned to look at him. I hardly knew this man that I had only talked to twice, but he had my respect.

Looking around the room, a smile graced his face. "Before we begin the meeting today, I just wanted to thank each of you for committing yourself to the mission. Without each and every one of you here, there is no way we can possibly succeed. Now, onto the details."

**Ron's POV**

"I don't know about you, but the new vests aren't really working for me. Sure, there is a bit more padding, but I think it is a little obvious under the clothes, you know?"

Harry only had half my attention for this conversation. As a spy, I'm trained to be able to hold a conversation and think about something completely different. In my head, I was just thinking of Miss Granger's reaction when she sees me. Slightly unprofessionally, I kept glancing at the doorway, anticipating her entrance.

When she entered, I was astonished by how collected and calm she looked compared to her frazzled self yesterday on the subway. Her hair was tamed, and she really did look quite nice. A mere observation, of course, I wasn't checking her out or anything.

I should not have been surprised, I mean I had seen her picture and there is no way she could be anyone else. But there was a part of me wishing that maybe they were different people. Perhaps a twin or a cousin who looked a lot like her. Anyone else but her, really.

Just look at our encounter yesterday. We did not even know each other for more than a minute and we had already gotten into a fight. Well, the beginnings of a fight. That I started. That she did not mean to cause. But it was a fight and I knew it was not a good idea for us now that we are to be "co-workers." This was serious and I did not need any distractions.

But when she walked into the room recognition lit up her eyes. If she could identify me then there was no way one of my theories could have been correct.

However, I was resolved to not allow her to push my buttons. I need to be on top of my game and no cute woman with an attitude is going to get in the way of what I need to do. Out on a mission, if you lose concentration for a minute, even a second, many things can be lost. And that's not just the suspect, but evidence or even lives.

Then Cormac went to her and started talking to her. He even put his arm behind her and had her sit in the seat next to him. So I was determined to not let Hermione get under my skin, but Cormac was allowed to, right? What right does he have to do that, anyway?

The guy just irked me anyway. He is always trying to get the spotlight and just walks around bragging about everything he has done. He should know that he is on a team and there is no way he would have accomplished any of that without other people helping him out. So his character is enough reason for me to be angry at him right now, right? Well, I'm running with that excuse anyway because this unreasonable anger needs to be rationalized.

Harry must have seen me looking, well glaring, at Hermione and Cormac because he turned to me and asked, "You upset about the new vests or something, mate? Honestly, you look ready to snap someone's head off."

I was still looking at them when I answered his question, while leaving out some vital information, "Cormac is just making me mad is all; he said something earlier that really ticked me off." It has been known to happen.

She turned towards me while I was answering Harry and she looked…uncomfortable. As an agent, I am good at reading emotions, but I was not expecting that. Her reaction was just so confusing, and I didn't like being confused.

Harry just chuckled, "Well that's every day. You should be used to it by now."

I was just relieved he bought my excuse. It wasn't so much an excuse as it was a half-truth.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll get over it…hopefully." I was completely distracted. I wanted to know what Cormac was saying to her. I wanted to understand why she was feeling all those emotions that played out so easily across her face. And most of all, I wanted to know what her reaction was to seeing me. Sure, I saw the surprise on her face, but what were her thoughts? Why is she feeling what she is feeling?

As a trained agent, I strive to understand everything about a person: their emotional tendencies, their weaknesses, their strengths, that sort of thing. So my thoughts are strictly professional. Yeah, that works.

Before Harry could catch on that I wasn't really paying attention, Dumbledore enters the room and I am saved from coming up with another lie. I am trained to lie efficiently, but Harry is also trained to detect lies, so you can understand the risk.

During Dumbledore's first few statements, I was just watching Hermione and her reactions to what he said. I felt Harry glancing at me glancing at her but I didn't care, I was too curious to see how this woman responded because, so far, she was surprising me.

"Now, onto the details." I finally turned completely towards my boss and gave him my undivided attention. I have to be prepared for what is sure to be my most difficult mission yet.

**And there you have it! I honestly felt like I went nowhere with that chapter, but I still feel like it was important. But things will be speeding up here in a bit, don't fret! Besides, you got to take a look into Hermione's mind, so I hope you got something from that. The only thing I ask of you is to leave a review with a favorite part, line, color, hopes, dreams…I'll take anything, really. If any of you are writers, you know how special each review is!**

**Thanks for reading and stay tuned!**

**P.S. This was my longest chapter yet, so that makes up for how long it took for me to get this up right?**


	4. Weapon Training

**A/N: So I am back after a bit of time away! I feel as if ever chapter that I write starts with an apology, doesn't it? Well, this one isn't too different. I do apologize for not updating promptly, but life just seems to keep getting in the way. Every time it looks as if I have a few spare moments to write, something else came up. So I have forced myself to make the time and update for all my lovely readers. If you cannot recall what has happened in past chapters please feel free to briefly click and scroll through the previous ones.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the wonderful world of Harry Potter; that belongs to the brilliant J.K. Rowling.**

Chapter 4: Weapon Training

Hermione's POV

The moment Dumbledore announced that he was ready to start the meeting, I was glad that Cormac had to stop his story short. I honestly am interested to learn anything I can about this intriguing occupation, but I have a feeling that Cormac would not exactly provide an unbiased point of view. On top of that, I mainly feel overwhelmed and put off by his behavior. I enjoy being in the company of so many elite people, but there is a point that's reached when someone really cocky and irritating keeps talking. I was on my way to reaching that point.

But as Dumbledore begins with his opening remarks, I give him my full attention. This is new territory that I am entering and I will take any chance to learn whatever I can before I have to fully immerse myself in this case. I am in my comfort zone: learning and then applying what I have learned is what I do best.

With a slight smile on my face, I take a manila file folder off the top of the pile that is being passed to me, accompanied with a wink, from Cormac. With a polite nod, I send the stack to the man sitting next to me.

Opening the folder, I finger through all of the papers. It includes all the information that is expected plus things I would have never have imagined being included. From flight information to the map of the basement of the hotel that we are to be staying at and shots of the target, Tom Riddle, and the coordinates of every known house or headquarter of suspected accomplices or family.

The information was very thorough. Did you know that Tom Riddle enjoys blueberry scones? Yeah, I didn't either.

I grab my pen and pad of paper out of my purse and start taking notes. Every word that Dumbledore says is quickly taken down along with any insights, ideas, or questions I might have.

Although I am looking forward to going to the United States and working behind-the-scenes to catch the bad guys, so to speak, I must admit my fears. Truth is, I have never been in a fight. At least, never a hand-to-hand or otherwise dangerous scuffle. Would I have to carry around a small hand gun? Not only would I have any idea how to properly use it (although I did pick up a book on gun use on my way home from work yesterday), I don't know if I could actually pull the trigger, even if it was to save my own life.

I make a small note on the list of firearms and other weapons that are going to be brought on this mission to ask about acquiring a gun and perhaps a little bit of training.

Overall, the meeting was very interesting. It flowed just like any sort of board meeting we would have at my office, but the subject matter was, of course, different. We deal with the aftermath and legal matter of crimes, but to actually be present to see how the battle for a capture is conducted? That is a whole new ballgame.

"In conclusion," Dumbledore said, finishing up the meeting, "we have located who we believe are Riddle's potential allies. Leaving Thursday, I expect you all to be ready to work Friday morning. Hopefully once you find these guys, we can find Riddle and finally put an end to his dangerous agenda. Good luck everyone, I have complete confidence in this mission and all of you," he says this looking everyone in the eyes.

"Any questions before you are dismissed? Yes, Miss Granger," he addresses me with a small smile as my hand shoots into the air. I know, it seems overly eager, but I just cannot seem to be able to break the habit from my school days.

"As I was reading over the weaponry list, sir, I wanted to inquire as to whether or not I will be in the possession of anything while on the mission even though I am behind-the-scenes?"

"That is a very good question. Although you will not be actively participating in the field I want you, and this goes for the other specialists, to be able to protect yourselves. Agent Weasley and Agent Potter?" Dumbledore threw a beseeching glance at the red-haired man that I had recognized from the subway and the dark-haired man next him.

"Yes, sir?" The raven-haired man answers for the two of them as the red-haired man nods next to him.

"If you are not too busy would you be able to take the specialists to visit Lupin?" As a side-note Dumbledore turns and addresses me and two others who I assume are also some sort of specialists and explains, "Remus Lupin is in charge of any and all weapons and gadgets that are taken out into the field."

Nodding in understanding, I look to the two agents that are being requested to bring us to Lupin. They quickly exchange a few words and turn back to Dumbledore to give him their answer.

The bespectacled man once again answers for the two of them, "Of course, sir. We would be glad to help out." Although I am glad that I will be able to get the gun, or whatever it may be, I am not sure how I feel about being taken by the infuriating man from the subway. Maybe I will be able to confront him about what happened and ask him if he knew who I was. I look at him to try and gauge his reaction but his countenance reveals nothing, just a blank face.

Smiling in approval, Dumbledore once again addresses us three specialists, "Great. So if you three would please follow Agents Potter and Weasley. They will provide you with the necessary equipment and will train you in their usage. Afterwards, please stop and see Miss Lovegood for their new passports and identification information, they should be ready." This last remark he directed toward the pair again. They both nodded in assent.

"Everyone else, this meeting is dismissed. Be sure that you all also grab any equipment or disguise pieces that you do not already have, I am sure that Tonks can help you find anything that will give your cover the perfect touch. Pick up your communication units from Lupin before you leave today. If there are any other last minute questions or problems throughout the day send me an e-mail. With that, I bid you good-bye for now." Dumbledore nodded to the room at large, picked up his folder, and exited the room.

After he had left, everyone pushes back their chairs and starts to gather their things, any notes, folders, or pens. I, too, push back my chair and, just as Cormac is turning to me to most likely elaborate on that story that he was trying to tell me earlier, I turn and start to walk towards Agents Weasley and Potter. I know that I didn't start on the right foot with the red-head, but I figure it would be better than getting my ear talked off by Cormac. At least, I hope it's better.

Taking a deep breath I walk towards the two agents that are waiting for the specialists. Two other men are approaching them and they are quite opposite of each other. One is rather scrawny, has mousy features, appears younger, and is blonde. The man walking alongside him is tall, well-built, rather handsome and has reddish-brown hair.

They reach the two men before me since they were sitting on the same side of the table as the agents. Shaking hands, they introduce themselves. The short one's name in Colin Creevey, he specializes in surveillance and any type of video work. The tall one's name is Cedric Diggory and he is an explosives expert, anything chemical or otherwise. I sincerely hope that he will not need to be used too much on this mission.

And then it is my turn. I put a brave, confident smile on my face and reach my hand out to the raven-haired man first. "Hello, my name is Hermione Granger. My specialty is basically anything and everything law."

"Nice to meet you. My name is Harry Potter." Suddenly recognition hits me. As I was researching Tom Riddle in preparation of the meeting today, his name had popped up several times. He is basically the leader in the fight against this man and has escaped his grasp on more than one occasion.

"Oh yes, I have read about you." He nods modestly. Seeing that this particular conversation is not going to continue, I turn reluctantly to the man standing next to him.

Connecting eyes with him, I address him, I admit, rather coldly, "And I take it you are Agent Weasley?" Just as Cormac had addressed me earlier, this was more a statement of fact than a question.

Following a very brief handshake he answers, "Yes, I am Agent Ronald Weasley." His eyes betray no emotion and his face is just as impassive.

"Fancy meeting you here…" However, he does not take the bait, leaving me still curious as to whether or not he knew of me when we had "met" the day before. He shrugs his shoulders slightly and, for just a moment, he allows himself to display some emotion and his mouth pulls into a small smirk.

There is an awkward silence following that statement and I can see Harry looking between Ronald and myself. Oddly enough, his look of confusion brightens as if he has just figured out a difficult problem and, with a smile, breaks the silence.

"Well then, now that we have all introduced ourselves, I suggest that we head downstairs and see Lupin." With that, we take our leave of the room and head to the elevators.

**Ron's POV**

It is an odd feeling walking through these hallways, in my own territory, with someone who is from the outside and definitely does not belong. Hell, we are even equipping her with a gun or two for good measure! Honestly, I have no idea how this is going to turn out; I respect Dumbledore's judgment, but I am not sure if I will be able to handle having these specialists on a mission when they have never dealt with this sort of thing. I am, of course thinking of one person in particular.

And speak of the devil…

She interrupts me as I start to explain to Lupin, "As I am sure you have heard by now, we have been sent down here to acquire some guns for the specialists..."

"I was researching and I came across a couple of guns that I believe I would be able to handle with the minimal training I will be getting here before we head off." Hermione immediately addresses Lupin from the moment that she steps into the artillery room, successfully cutting me off.

"Wait? You already researched guns and picked the ones you would be most suited for?" The question comes out of my mouth before Lupin can cover up his shock and answer her question.

"Of course. You couldn't have expected me to come into here completely unprepared, could you?" For a moment my shock must have slipped through my mask of cold indifference that I had worn since she stepped forward to introduce herself. Blushing slightly she continues with a small shrug of her shoulders, "It's what anybody would have done. And the book didn't take too long to read last night."

"You read the entire book last night?" I had already started talking with her so I might as well continue.

Looking slightly offended she answers with a quick "yes" and looks back to Lupin to comment on her statement that she said before our little conversation got her off track.

I take a small step back, cross my arms, and consider this bemusing woman in front of me. She really is full of surprises. Who reads an entire book a night? She is either brilliant or barking mad.

Lupin picks up several guns and shows them to the specialists. These guns are nothing too powerful or too dangerous for the inexperienced people controlling them. Grabbing a small array of weapons including some makes of derringers, just a muff pistol if you will, that wouldn't be too much of a risk but would still be efficient and easy enough to carry around, and also a standard issue 9mm and 10mm handgun. Each person can try them out and get a feel for them.

As Lupin goes over the basic instruction for handling these guns, Harry and I head to the area at the far end of the room for a little bit of target practice before the three specialists head over for their training.

We don't talk as we concentrate on the matter at hand. Allowing the murmurs of the conversation taking place not too far away to become a mere background noise, I pull on my shooting glasses and ear protector. I take out the stress that I can feel building up inside me on this exercise.

After ten minutes of solid shooting practice, we both engage the safeties on our guns and pull off our eye and ear protectors. As we look over at the small group huddled around Lupin who is showing them how to properly check if there is ammunition already in the gun and, if not how to reload, I notice that Hermione asks a long-winded question. I can't help but smile a little at how seriously and how in-depth she is about learning how to operate the guns.

Still looking at the small group, I catch the bottle of water that Harry throws at me. As I unscrew the cap and take a swig of water, Harry follows my line of vision.

Not even looking at me he comments, "She is a feisty one, that Hermione."

As I tear my gaze away from her and look at Harry who has just repeated my words from the day before, he only smirks and says, "Did you really think I wouldn't figure it out, Ron? I am your best mate and a spy; you need to give me some more credit."

"Was it that obvious?" I could already feel the trademark Weasley blush take over my ears. I have worked so hard over the years to get that under control, but unfortunately it has never completely left.

"It wasn't until she made that comment about seeing you here that I put two and two together. I should have realized when I noticed you kept stealing glances at her during the meeting." I shove him a little and he only laughs saying, "Yeah, I picked up on that too."

"Okay, so you figured it out. She is the same girl from the subway." I make sure to look in his eyes as I say what I hope is the last on this subject, "But it doesn't mean anything; nothing is going to happen."

"Probably not; you would mess it up before it even starts. Anyways, I'm sure she is already taken."

Somewhat guiltily I correct him, "No, she's single." Shrugging slightly when he looks at me questionably, I defend myself, "It was in her bio. It's not my fault that you didn't read it."

"I scanned through them, but I didn't memorize them." I roll my eyes, knowing that, regardless of what I say, he will not really listen. "Well, mate, we are going to Vegas. Who knows what will happen."

Before I can say anything back, the small group approaches us.

"Ron, Harry, mind letting this lot take a chance?" Lupin jokingly asks. After we step aside, Lupin addresses Hermione, Colin, and Cedric, "now remember everything that I taught you and have a go at it. The three of us will be right here to answer any questions or solve any problems."

However, as the three of them put on their protective gear, Harry pulls aside Lupin to ask about a new gun that he had noticed as we had walked in. As they walk away, Harry turns around and looks meaningfully between me and Hermione.

Shaking my head, I turn towards the three of them as they are about to start their target practice. Cedric picks it up rather quickly and, after two shoddy shots, he manages to get a decent shot off. Where it seems that Cedric exceeds, Colin does not seem to bode well with the gun; his shots are completely off target.

I am about to head over to Colin to help him out when I notice Hermione at the end of the table with her gun aimed above and to the left of the target. She has not taken any shots yet, but has instead stood there taking what seem to be calming breaths. Finally seeming ready, she places her finger on the trigger and, right as she pulls it, her eyes shut. However, nothing happens.

Opening both eyes in shock in confusion, she doesn't hear me as I approach her. She jumps a little bit in surprise and spins a little. I rush forward and take a hold of her gun and point it back at the target.

"First rule of safety, do not point the gun at someone who is not the enemy; you never know if you will accidentally set it off."

"Right I know that, sorry. I was just surprised after it didn't go off and I didn't hear you approach." She is quick to explain.

"It 'didn't go off' because your safety is still on." I reach around her and push the safety back. "Also, your aim was slightly off so you wouldn't have hit the target anyway. Try again."

I pull away and she once again tries to line up her shot. However, she overcompensates and her barrel is aimed too far right.

Figuring that the only way she will get this right, I step behind her and put my hands on top of hers. She stiffens slightly but allows me to adjust her aim. "Make sure when you readjust your aim, you don't overcompensate. Looking down the barrel will help you line it up correctly. Now go ahead and pull the trigger but this time, don't close your eyes as you take the shot. Keep them open." I finish in a whisper as she nods her head and takes another calming breath.

I keep my left hand on hers and move my right to her right wrist so she can pull the trigger without my interference. The bullet is finally released and she leans back into me from the force of the shot. However, I don't concentrate on the feeling of her backed into me, but look ahead at the target. A smile spreads on my face when I see that her shot hit the target.

In her excitement of getting her first shot on target, a brilliant smile adorns her face and she turns slightly in my arms to look at me and exclaims, "I hit it!"

Chuckling slightly, I reply, "I know I saw it! Try it another time."

And in the same position as last time, she takes another shot, once again getting it on target.

I am about to congratulate her when I hear someone clear their throat behind me. Turning my head, I see Harry standing behind us with his arms crossed and a smug look on his face. Quickly pulling away from Hermione, I can already feel the tips of my ears heating up.

As she turns around with a questioning gaze, I just tell her to try without me.

The rest of their training was uneventful and I tried not to favor Hermione too much when I went around helping people and offering advice because every time I went to help her, Harry would wink at me and start smiling.

As Harry and I help pack everything up at the end of the session in preparation for the mission, Hermione walks up to us and says to me, "Thank you, Ronald, for your help today. I really appreciate it."

"Oh, um, no problem. And you can call me Ron."

She just shrugs her shoulders and, with a small smile, says, "We'll see."

Once she walks away, Harry shoulder-bumps me. Unable to keep the smile off my face I just tell him to shut-up and get back to packing all the weapons. I grab the bag from Lupin with all of my gear for the mission, including my comms unit, and head to see Luna to get the new identification things for the specialists with Harry right behind me.

**Alright, so there is the fourth chapter! I hope you enjoyed seeing Ron and Hermione interact a bit in this chapter. Please excuse me for my lack of knowledge on guns, I did some research but I really am not sure about what I'm talking about. If you know a bit on guns and wish to offer some advice, please feel free to because I would really appreciate it. So please, please leave a REVIEW; I cherish each and every one of them. Next chapter they will be leaving for the United States! And please excuse any mistakes, I am only human and just my sister and I read over it. Speaking of my sister, she was unsure what a comms unit was, which is mentioned in the last sentence. A comms unit refers to the communications unit that Dumbledore refers to earlier and is the little thing that goes in your ear that allows you to hear everyone else.**

**Until next time!**

**aweasleytwin**


	5. The Journey Begins

**A/N: I wanted to update earlier, truly I did. However I have just recently gotten surgery on my knee and between physical therapy and just pure exhaustion, finding the time and energy to write has been hard to come by (and, if I'm being honest, I have been quite distracted by tumblr). And then I slam my pinkie in a car door and a lot of blood and ice later, I find myself having some minor difficulties typing. But, regardless of my distractions, I have found time to write and I thank you profusely for sticking with this story, it means a lot!**

**Disclaimer: The characters belong to the amazing J.K. Rowling, not I.**

Chapter 5: The Journey Begins

Ron's POV

I absolutely hate saying goodbye to my family. In all honesty, I hate it so much that I was seriously considering not even telling them that I was leaving so I wouldn't have to deal with my mother being close to breaking down to tears and my twin brothers taking the mickey out of me just to lighten the situation. I can just imagine it:

"_Look at our Ickle Ronniekins," Fred would start._

"_Trying to save the world," George would be quick to continue his sentence._

"_The United States is a scary place…"_

"_Full of scary people…"_

"_So we took the liberty of getting together your blankie and your old Teddy!"_

"_What's his name again, Freddie?" And George would look at Fred, both having a twinkle in their eyes._

"_I believe it is Sir Teddy, isn't that right Ronnie?" And he would pull my old bear out from behind his back and, before I can snatch it back, he tosses it to George._

"_That's right! Sir Brown Bear! You always were such a clever little boy, Ronnie! Naming all your toys with proper names!"_

_Laughing they would finish together, "We are so lucky that our fate rest in your hands!"_

So I would get angry and start yelling, mum would still be crying will simultaneously trying to hug me and scold the twins, dad would try to calm mum down, and Ginny would be with Harry not even bothering to send me off.

And then there is the rest of my brothers. Fred and George run this really successful joke-shop chain, so they could be at my send-off by leaving one of their managers in charge. Bill, my oldest brother, lives a ways off with his bride, Fleur so probably wouldn't have wanted to make the drive out, even if he could get away from the bank for a day. My brother Charlie lives in Romania studying wildlife, so I'm not even sure if he knows that I'm leaving. And then there's Percy. The pompous git would never take a day off from his brown-nosing job with the government. To him, what is family over ambitions and dreams?

So with this uncomfortable scenario in mind, I am reluctant to stop home Thursday morning before the flight. But I figure it will be easier to get away if I keep bringing up the flight I need to catch rather than making up excuses, like packing (which we all know I would just do Thursday morning anyway), in an attempt to get away.

But in all honesty, I care about my family too much to not even say goodbye face-to-face. The reality of my job is that I may not make it through next week, so I need to suck it up and say good-bye, for now I hope.

In an attempt to keep the farewell scene as painless as possible, I decide to bring Harry along. I honestly doubt that it will make things easier, but as least he will have to suffer alongside me. Plus, he is basically a part of this family any way, what with him dating my sister and the fact that he has been my best mate since secondary school. I'm sure my parents will want to see him off too.

With these thoughts running through my mind, I park the car in the driveway and stay in my seat for a minute, forestalling the inevitable. I run my hands through my hair and take a few calming breaths.

"You ready to do this?" I open my eyes and look over at Harry and notice that his hair is sticking all over the place, but more than usual. It is slightly comforting to know that he is also a little anxious about this.

"I guess." Together we exit the car just as my mum wrenches open the door.

"Ron! Harry! Come here, come here! It's been too long!" Not even three steps out of the car she pulls both of us into bone-crushing hugs. The breath is knocked out of my lungs so fast I don't even have a chance to remind her that I was just here for dinner on Sunday.

"Harry, you are looking a bit peaky. You really must come by more often to dinner." I swear she says this every single time that Harry is over.

"Of course, Mrs. Weasley. The weekend I get back you can expect me for dinner." He is quick to say with a nod of his head.

As she ushers us into the house, I am immediately hit with a sense of comfort that comes with being at home. I may have grown up and moved out, but everything has remained mostly the same here. The muddy boots stay by the door, our old clock that has been in the family for generations sits tick-tocking away, the sound of chickens clucking in the backyard is just as annoying, and there is something heating up on the stove.

Everything is the same and everything is just as worn-down as before; well, maybe a bit more now. It's not much, but it's home.

I can feel the warmth coming into my body; I hadn't even realized that it was a little chilly outside. As mum gets some tea to warm us up, we all head to the living room full of its mismatched, yet comfortable furniture. Harry and Ginny take the couch, but I stay standing, my body language keen on reminding them that I can't stay too long.

Mum has yet to shed a tear, so this visit is starting to seem promising after all. But a lesson that was taught early on in my training is to never get too comfortable and drop your guard, even for a second, because that is when the real trouble starts.

In this moment, trouble has two names: Fred and George.

I can hear the steps creaking as two pairs of feet race down the stairs and soon after the twins enter the living room with grins plastered on their faces.

In unison they yell, "Ronniekins!" And each proceeds to wrap an arm around my shoulders.

"Look at our little brother, Georgie," Fred starts off, turning to his brother. I can already tell that I will not like where this is heading.

"Going to the United States for the first time! Did you bring the camera, Fred?"

"Of course! I've got it right here! Smile, Ronnie, this is a big day!" Fred whips out his digital camera and snaps a picture of the three of us. From the heat I can feel traveling to my ears, I'm sure they will be bright pink and I will be looking pissed. Not my best look, I must admit.

"Have you packed some extra underwear? You never know what's going to happen…" George starts.

"And are you sure you don't want to bring Ginny? I know there are some pretty tough people over there if you get in a tight spot…"

"Sod off, will you? And get off of me," I push their arms off of my shoulders. Do they not realize that this may be the last time I see them? Can't they be serious for just one moment without making me look like an idiot? I run a hand through my hair in frustration.

"Uh, oh, Fred, I think we made little Ronnie mad!" Then they have the gull to start laughing. I can also hear Harry try to pass off a laugh as a cough and as I turn to glare at him I see that Ginny is trying to stifle her giggles by turning her face into Harry's chest.

"Oh, boys, stop teasing your brother. He is about to head off on a dangerous mission, where he may never come see us…again...and…oh this is awful!" And those tears that I was so glad were staying away start to trickle down mum's cheeks. It doesn't take too long before she is crying so much that any words she tries to say just break through as incoherent babble.

As Ginny and I go over to comfort and reassure mum, my dad comes through the door exclaiming, "Ron, you're here! How come no one told me? I would have come in straight away!"

I'm not surprised that dad lost track of time. Although it has nothing to do with his job, my dad has always been interested in how things work. This includes a large range of things; for example, he has taken apart many radios, fans, toasters, and even rubber ducks, the ones that squeak, with the intention of finding out how they work.

All of these things, and many other miscellaneous parts, can be found in an old shed outside of the house. However, he is working on something bigger right now: a car, an old Ford Angela to be exact. He has been trying to get it running all month and has been spending any of his free time in the shed working on it. Hence, him getting into the house late.

"It's alright, dad," I reassure him, "this wasn't going to be a long visit anyway."

"Yeah," Harry pulls his arm away from Ginny and stands up from the couch, "we only wanted to stay for a few minutes because the flight leaves rather early. Actually," he continues, taking a glance at the old watch that we had given to him on his seventeenth birthday, as was a tradition in our family, "we should probably be heading out soon."

As Harry shakes the twins' hands, I head over to dad and give him a hug.

"Stay safe, son. I know that you will do great. I am so proud of you." He puts a smile on his face and I can see his eyes tighten.

"Thanks, dad. You stay safe too and make sure mum doesn't get too worried." This last part I whisper to him, though it is probably unnecessary since mum is crying while hugging Harry. Dad nods his head in assurance.

I turn to Ginny and give her a hug and say a quick good-bye. I turn to the twins and they also give me a quick hug and say a serious, joke-free farewell that they try to keep light with a smile.

As Harry embraces Ginny, she mutters to him, "Come back to me soon."

He holds her tighter and replies, "I will as fast as I can. I love you."

As they get in a kiss I go over to mum and give her a hug. She holds me tightly and says, "Are you sure you can't tell me where you are going?"

"Mum, you know very well that I can't. I wouldn't want to endanger you." I have gone over with her time and time again that she is not allowed to know where I go on my missions just in case someone bad captures her and tries to gain information.

"I just hate not knowing where my baby is."

"Mum, I'm not a baby anymore; I can take care of myself, okay? So no need to worry." I try to keep my tone light and confident.

I pull out of the hug and she nods her head as she sniffs. Remembering something, she scurries into the kitchen and comes back with bacon sandwiches in her hands. I can't stop the smile from coming to my face. "Just something for the road, who knows if there will be any good food on the plane."

I give her one last hug in thanks. Looking around the room, I try to take mental snapshots of this house and my family. These loved ones are the ones that I am fighting for and trying to keep safe; they will keep me strong if it gets tough.

As Harry and I turn to the door, I give a small wave and say, "Tell everyone that I will see them soon and that I love them." I try to stay away from the word "good-bye" for my mum's sake. Well, maybe it's for my sake too.

Ginny reluctantly starts to pull her hand out of Harry's and, with a gentle squeeze of her hand, says, "Stay safe." Tears are silently running down her cheeks. She has always been strong but whenever Harry leaves for a mission, she breaks down just a little knowing that this may very well be the last she sees him.

Harry and I solemnly head out to the car and climb in. Conversation is nonexistent on the drive to the airport. We are both lost in our thoughts about what is to come and what is at stake. Ever since Harry lost his parents, he has been welcomed with open arms into the family. He has always been like a brother to me and I reckon that pretty soon he will become an official member of this family.

That is, if all goes well. A lot is riding on this mission.

The long ride is only punctuated by the songs on the radio and, about ten minutes from our destination, Harry interrupts the silence. "So…Hermione…what do you think about her?"

I really don't want to have this conversation with him because I know what he is going to say. With a sigh I give him an answer, "She's a bit of a know-it-all, to be honest. But, she's alright I guess."

He smirks and lifts an eyebrow, "Just alright?"

I roll my eyes, "Yes. I know you and I know that you are reading too much into this."

"But, Ron…"

I interrupt him before he continues, "Look, we are about to go on a mission. I can't lose focus and, as you well know, it does not to do well to lose focus. Any room for emotions will only leave room for hurt. And I don't want anyone to get hurt." I am getting terrible pictures in my head of Hermione bloodied and injured. I shake my head to try to get rid of the terrible mental image and continue, "She is a great asset to this mission, that's all." And that's all there can be.

To be completely honest, I have been thinking about Hermione a bit since yesterday. Seeing her shoot a gun was, honestly, kind of sexy. However, I shudder to think of Tom or one of his goons anywhere near her with only a small gun to protect her. I push those thoughts away.

Harry looks at me like he wants to continue but seeing my glare he drops it.

He would have been unable to carry on the conversation anyway because we have just arrived at the airport and I drive over to a jet that belongs to our agency, and park the car.

As we unload our stuff from the trunk, I glance around at all of the people who will be joining us on this mission. The team that is coming with us, headed and organized by Harry, consists of me, Cormac because, although he is arrogant and selfish is actually a good agent, Seamus who has one of the best shots, Cho Chang who is a very talented linguist, Neville Longbottom who is a legacy (both of his parents were in the force) and has grown more and more confident in the field over the years, Katie Bell who is a great tracker, and of course the three specialists. Dumbledore will not be with us, but will just be a phone call away if necessary.

I bring my small suitcase over to the pile that is accumulating and notice that Cormac is insisting on bringing over Hermione's luggage. As she is assuring him that she can handle bringing over the single case. However, her phone goes off and, as she answers it, he manages to pull the luggage in question from her grasp.

Sighing in defeat, she continues her conversation with the person on the other end, "Susan, thank you so much for handling the Umbridge case while I'm gone. I left a folder of all my notes on her teaching techniques, allegations, and so on, on your desk. If you could just…"

She continues her conversation and reaches into her car to grab her purse. I notice Cormac making his way over here and I try to look busy with the tags on my suitcase, not wanting to talk to him.

Unfortunately, Cormac does not realize this and says, "That Granger really is something, yeah?" The question is obviously rhetorical because he does not wait for me to answer and continues, "I really think she's feeling me, if you know what I mean." He proceeds to elbow me and smile big, throwing in a wink for good measure.

"I think you should be concentrating on the mission and not on-" but he sees that she has finished her phone call and strides back to her, not even listening to what I was going to say.

Shaking my head, I turn and head towards the stairs leading to the plane and see that Neville has just tripped going up the stairs, "I'm okay!" he reassures Katie and Cho who were just about to follow him onto the plane and reached out to catch him, and continue to reach their hands out, with a wary look on their faces, just in case he stumbles again. That would not be the most promising start to the mission.

"Ready to head up?" Harry has just deposited his bag next to mine and makes a sweeping motion towards the metal steps that were just deserted by Neville, Katie, and Cho moments ago.

"Yeah, I'm ready. Is there anything else that you need to do before we leave?" I ask him as we climb the steps, grasping onto the handrails on either side.

"No, I already checked in with Dumbledore. Everyone is here and everything is ready to go. With no new information to provide, Dumbledore gave the go-ahead."

"Great! Hold on a sec," I say as I turn around at the top of the stairs and cup my hands around my mouth, "Hey, you lot! Get you arses up here, it's time to go!"

"Ron! That was completely unnecessary!" He goes to punch my shoulder but I dodge it easily and run into the plane, and, laughing, turn my head to yell, "Get away from me, you ungrateful twit!"

Judging from the smile on his face, I can tell that he doesn't really care that I just did that; not that I expected him to be, I've known him for so long now that I can read him like a book. Most of the time. So, grinning, we find two seats next to each other and store our carry-on luggage that contains our laptops, comms units, flashlights, and other emergency gear if something were to go wrong, into the overhead compartments. Our seats not only double as flotation devices like the common airplane, but also have parachutes stored underneath.

Just as I'm turning to sit in my seat, I feel a small pair of feet run over mine. I immediately lift my foot and grab it in pain. "What the bloody hell was that for? That was," as I'm turning around, I notice that it is Hermione who is standing right behind me with a surprised and apologetic expression written across her face; however, the words are out before I can stop them, I continue, "my foot you just stomped on!"

"Get your foot out of your mouth!" Harry whispers out of the side of his mouth to me. I just ignore him.

Hermione's face changes from rueful to angry in a second, "I did not intentionally step on it! Did you ever think that perhaps your abnormally large foot was in the way?"

There is a fire in her eyes and I know I should just let it go, but I just feel the need to respond, "My feet are not that huge! I'm sure you did it on purpose!"

Now she is indignant, "How dare you suggest I did it on purpose? If I did mean to do it, you would know! I was just trying to get away from…"

But before she can continue, Cormac walks up to us and exclaims, "Hermione, where did you run off to?" Hermione closes her eyes and takes a deep breath before taking a step away from me and turning to Cormac. I hadn't realized how close we had gotten in our short argument.

"I was just coming in to find a seat." Hermione said to Cormac, with a forced pleasantness coming though her tone. Cormac, being the cocky idiot that he is, is under the impression that Hermione came in to grab both of them seats. But Hermione wouldn't do that would she? I mean, I can't stand being around the bloke and she is a smart woman, so why would she want to? He shoots a smirk over at Hermione and tilts his head towards me with a look that clearly reads, _You couldn't possibly want to sit with this chump, would you?_ I cross my arms and glare at him.

"Sorry, but I was actually going to sit with…um…" Hermione starts to look around as she says it, trying to find an escape from sitting with Cormac, not that I can blame her.

"She is going to sit with me." The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them. "And Harry, of course." She tries to hide her surprise, but I catch it easily before she tries to hide it behind a confident mask.

"Right. I am sitting with Ron…and Harry."

"But I thought I just heard you two arguing?" Well he got us there.

But she is more clever than I give her credit for, "Oh, that was nothing. He was trying to give me the window seat but I kept insisting that he take it, especially since I hate flying and greatly dislike seeing how far up we are."

"But I always get the window seat," Harry mumbles from beside me. I was starting to forget that he was standing there.

"So we decided," I say, glancing at Harry, "that he can get the window seat, I will take the middle seat, and she can have the aisle seat since it is farthest from the window." Harry is nodding next to me to validate my story.

Cormac look between the three of us and, unable to do anything about his current situation mutters, "Well, I guess I'll leave you to it. I'll catch up with you guys later." He walks off towards Katie and Cho looking confused and annoyed.

After he is a sufficient distance away, Hermione turns to us and says, "Thanks, guys, for backing me up there, I really just didn't want to sit next to that…" she stops to think of a proper descriptive phrase.

"Bloody wanker," I fill in for her, with a smile.

She glares at me and whisper-shouts, "That is not what I was going to say and that was incredibly rude!"

"But true?"

"…I guess," she concedes. I do a little fist pump in victory. "But you still shouldn't say it." I roll my eyes; I am a grown man and I can say whatever I please. And I tell her as much.

"Well we should probably sit down, I think the plane is about to take off," Harry tells us. We each take our seats and strap ourselves in. Harry and I look out the window and Hermione grabs onto both armrests, lays her head back, and closes her eyes.

"Do you really need both armrests?" I know this is probably not a good idea, but seriously, is that completely necessary?

"Yes, I do. You are welcome to share if you are so inclined." She says this while still keeping her eyes closed.

"But why do you need both…" Just as I am finishing my question, the plane starts its journey down the runway and I notice that her hands grip the armrest even tighter and she is taking calming breaths. "That's right. You said you don't like flying."

"I just don't like the takeoff and," she takes another deep breath, "and the landing. The middle bits are alright. Now I need to stop talking before I…throw up."

Because her face is getting paler and she really doesn't look well, I don't say anything else to her. Just looking at her trying to get through this, I can feel my hand almost itching to reach out and grab hers just so she can at least know that someone is there to help her through this. But I hardly know her and it just isn't my place. So as bad as I want to reach out and help I don't. Instead, I just run my hand that is near hers through my hair just to give it something to do.

We finally level out and are able to "move freely about the cabin" so Hermione unbuckles herself and cautiously stands up and opens up the overhead compartment. She has to really reach up to grab whatever she is trying to get out of her purse. A small sliver of her stomach is revealed and I can't help but think of how soft it looks. Just as I pull my eyes away, we hit some turbulence and she starts to fall. Seeing this in my peripheral vision, I reach out and grab her around the waist to avoid her falling on me.

"I'm so sorry!"

"Not a problem." I still have my hands on her waist and, even though I should be removing them, I just cannot seem to pull away. I also cannot seem to pull my eyes away from hers. Her chocolate pools have pulled me in and I don't have the power to look away from them. The moment, if you can call it a moment, ends when Harry clears his throat. The spell is broken and I finally look away and remove my hands. I know that if I look at Harry he will have such a smug look on his face, so instead I look down at my hands that I have folded into my lap. Hermione sits down next to me, straps herself back in, and opens the book that she must have grabbed from her purse.

There is only silence as Hermione seems intent to read though the book and Harry decides to listen to some music. I lean back my head and attempt to fall asleep but find myself unable to do so. This has never been a problem for me before, why can't I now?

An hour of this passes and the flight is going smoothly, albeit, boringly. But quite suddenly we hit some turbulence that is not going away quickly. I look out the window and something does not seem right.

We're losing altitude. Rapidly.

**A/N: Alright, so there is the end of the chapter! Sorry to leave you on a bit of a cliffie but this was getting a little long and I needed to stop somewhere. Thank you so much for all of the encouraging reviews and messages, it really helps me get the drive to write. So if you would like to see what happens next please write a REVIEW! Each and every one is really special to me and I can always use the feedback. So let me know what your favorite part, line, color, pizza topping, whatever is. I just love hearing from you guys!**

**Thanks for sticking with this story! And a big thanks to my sister for reading over this and pushing me to write! Oh, and Sir Brown Bear came from a story written by twinley (which you should read) and I got her credit to use it.**

**aweasleytwin**


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